empire of gold | Horse Racing Free Tips

Whitmore Tries for Fourth Count Fleet

The ageless champion Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) will try for an unprecedented fourth victory in the GIII Count Fleet Sprint H. in a competitive seven-horse field Saturday at Oaklawn.

Annexing the Count Fleet in 2017 and 2018, the chestnut ran into a buzzsaw in champion Mitole (Eskendereya) when second in 2019 and gutted out his third score in the race last year. Winless in his next three, he finished his campaign with an 18-1 upset of the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint to earn an Eclipse Award for champion male sprinter. Making his 8-year-old debut in the Hot Springs S., he was just out-gamed by re-opposing C Z Rocket (City Zip) in a neck decision. That runner was second to Whitmore in the Breeders' Cup, stopping a five-race winning streak that began in a $50,000 claimer at Churchill–his first race for trainer Peter Miller–and culminated in a conquest of the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship S.

No Parole (Violence) scored a convincing victory in the GI Woody Stephens S. last June, but hasn't been quite the same since. The bay was off the board in both the GI H. Allen Jerkens S. and GII Phoenix S. and, after bouncing back to annex a Louisiana-bred stake at Delta Feb. 10, was fourth at 2-5 making his turf debut in the state-bred Costa Rising S. Mar. 20 at Fair Grounds.

Fringe contenders include Strike Power (Speightstown), a one-time graded stakes-winning 'TDN Rising Star' who had fallen off form until dominating a track-and-trip optional claimer with a 101 Beyer Mar. 11, and Empire of Gold (Goldencents), who makes his 4-year-old debut after overachieving when second in the Phoenix and fourth in the Breeders' Cup, both times at 51-1.

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Diamond Oops’ Connections Will ‘Flip A Coin’ Between Breeders’ Cup Sprint, Turf Sprint

Diamond Oops and Empire of Gold, who finished less than a length apart at the end of Friday's $200,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2), are likely to return to Keeneland for starts Nov. 7.

Diamond 100 Racing Club, Amy Dunne, D P Racing and trainer Patrick Biancone's Diamond Oops was scheduled to leave Keeneland this afternoon to return to the Palm Meadows Training Center in South Florida, according to assistant trainer Andie Biancone.

“He's just a cool horse,” she said of the 5-year-old Diamond Oops, who became a millionaire with his Friday victory. “My dad was very proud of him yesterday and happy.”

The victory earned Diamond Oops a fees-paid berth into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1). However, Diamond Oops also is accomplished on the grass, having won the TwinSpires Turf Sprint (G2) Presented by Sysco in his previous start.

“My dad will probably flip a coin,” Biancone said of making the decision whether Diamond Oops would be pre-entered in the Sprint or the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) also on Nov. 7.

“Most likely (Diamond Oops) would come back the week of the Breeders' Cup. He loves to travel. He is a lot more confident now, and he enjoys changes in distances and surfaces. Last year was like his 3-year-old year because he only had the one race in 2018.”

Johnny Evans and trainer Terry Eoff's Empire of Gold left Keeneland before 7 a.m. en route to Remington Park.

Dismissed at 51-1 as a 3-year-old making his graded stakes debut, Empire of Gold dueled with Grade 1 winner No Parole through fast fractions, opened a clear advantage in the stretch and was overhauled late by Diamond Oops.

“We knew he was good, but we didn't know just how good,” Eoff said of the result in which Empire of Gold finished in front of three Grade 1 winners. “He beat some pretty good horses.”

The only time Empire of Gold has not finished in the top three was when he was fifth in the Grand Prairie Derby at Lone Star going 1 1/16 miles in June.

“I just had to try him long once,” Eoff said. “His best lick is 5½ to 6½ furlongs.”

Eoff is planning to bring Empire of Gold back here for the $100,000 Perryville for 3-year-olds going 6 furlongs as part of the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup undercard.

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Versatile Diamond Oops Runs Down Longshot Empire Of Gold In Phoenix

Last-out winner of the G2 Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs, the versatile 3-1 favorite Diamond Oops made the switch back to the dirt on Friday when he won the G3 Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland. The 5-year-old son of Lookin at Lucky ran six furlongs over the fast dirt in 1:09.24, besting 51-1 longshot Empire of Gold by three-quarters of a length on the wire. Trained by Pat Biancone and ridden by Florent Geroux, Diamond Oops is campaigned by the Diamond 100 Racing Club, Amy Dunne, D P Racing and Patrick L. Biancone Racing.

The victory earned Diamond Oops an expenses-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Sprint next month, also at Keeneland.

Grade 1 winner No Parole sped out of the starting gate to grab the early lead, while Remington Park invader Empire of Gold moved up to add pressure through early fractions of :22.24 and :44.73. Echo Town and Diamond Oops were just behind the frontrunners early, while veteran Whitmore and Ohio-bred millionaire Mo Don't No tracked in mid-pack.

Rounding the far turn, Empire of Gold grabbed the lead away from No Parole and opened up by several lengths. Diamond Oops took up the chase, but looked to have too much to do with three-sixteenths of a mile to run.

Instead, when Geroux gave the gelding his cue, Diamond Oops dug in gamely and drew even with his rival. Empire of Gold switched to the wrong lead late, trying to find more, but Diamond Oops pushed past to hit the wire three-quarters of a length in front. Empire of Gold had to settle for second, while Echo Town was game late to deny Whitmore for third. Absolutely Aiden was fifth.

Bred in Kentucky by Kin Hui Racing Stables, Diamond Oops is out of the stakes-winning Whywhywhy mare Patriotic Viva. He started showing up in a big way last year, winning the G3 Smile Sprint on dirt before running second in both the G1 Vanderbilt (dirt) and the G1 Shadwell Turf Mile. He was eighth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile before rebounding to win the G3 Mr. Prospector.

This year, Diamond Oops has not finished worse than fourth in four starts, and his overall record stands at 7-3-1 from 16 starts for earnings of over $1 million.

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